In The Washington Post ad, the former Hawai‘i governor recalls meeting Trump at a Miss Universe pageant in Honolulu.

By Michael Keany

Published: 2017.04.21 02:09 PM

Photo: Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit

Ben Cayetano really wants to stop Honolulu’s rail project, and he’s hoping President Donald Trump will help kill it. Today, the former Hawai‘i governor took out a full-page ad in the Washington Post directly addressing Trump, asking him to yank federal funding for rail.

“Honolulu’s rail project does not deserve a single dollar more from the federal government,” Cayetano writes. “The FTA should terminate its Full Funding Grant Agreement with the City, keep the $800 million, and use it for a worthy transit project.”

Cayetano brings up that one time he met Trump back in 1998 at the Miss Universe pageant, and asks him to preserve Hawai‘i’s natural beauty. He acknowledges that he opposed Trump’s candidacy, but writes, “I must admit, however, that you are on the right track scrutinizing wasteful spending on pork barrel projects.” He also took a swipe at the late Sen. Daniel Inouye, saying the rail project only got this far because of the powerful legislator’s backing.

Check out the full ad, paid for by the Princess Abigail K. Kawānanakoa Foundation, below. Will Trump read it? We may well find out on Twitter soon.